The Van Ness Days Inn is one of the District’s Covid-19 quarantine sites

A couple of readers kept spotting ambulances outside the entrance to the Days Inn at 4400 Connecticut Avenue. They emailed us to ask what was going on.

One of the places we checked was with the Days Inn’s management company. Last Thursday, we got this response from Jamie L. Howser, the vice president of operations at Coakley & Williams Hotel Management:

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“The District is operating remote quarantine and isolation sites for individuals impacted by COVID-19 who cannot self-quarantine in a private residential space. That includes those who have tested positive or are symptomatic and pending test results. We are asking the community to respect the privacy of this location and the staff working there as they support individuals awaiting test results or recovering from illness.”

In a follow-up email, we asked about staff needs. Did they have masks? What about meals? Could we put the word out for help? This was the response:

“It’s very heartfelt that the community is willing to support and assist during the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency. As the District continues responding to and working to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Mayor Bowser is encouraging volunteers to join the DC Medical Reserve Corps (DC MRC). The DC MRC is housed in the DC Department of Health (DC Health) and supports public health and medical emergency preparedness, response, and recovery by recruiting, training, and deploying medical and non-medical volunteers to assist with planned events and emergencies. Volunteers can complete the online registration here.”

We were not yet ready to publish what we knew. We wanted to know whether the staff had been trained and what safety protocols were being followed. We started putting out feelers.

Then, on Sunday: NBC4 reported that the hotel is one of five quarantine sites in the District. Its crew found trash, which included personal protective gear and bed linens, overflowing from dumpsters out back. The report included footage of a worker – wearing a mask and gown – returning to the hotel after grabbing a bite to eat nearby.

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Forest Hills Connection has requested follow-up information from the DC Department of Health and the Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services. Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh (who learned of the quarantine site when the NBC4 reporter asked her about it) is seeking answers from those agencies, too.

Moving forward, the site must be strictly managed to not increase the risks we face and to ensure that this location is safe, sanitary, and does not pose a threat to public health. I’m following up with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and the Department of Health (DC Health) for answers to additional safety-related questions. These include additional safety protocols for patients and the public, whether patients continue to receive DHS services and health counseling, who is operating the site, the types of PPE provided to personnel and patients, etc.

The manner in which the self-quarantine site became public knowledge has undoubtedly eroded public trust. And perhaps proper communication at the outset could have prevented much of the fear and alarm felt by many.

At the same time, Cheh writes: “Four residents experiencing homelessness in the District have died from coronavirus so far, so this intervention is desperately needed.”

And her final thought: “We are long into the period of community spread in the District, so all public spaces and businesses that remain open are likely to already be exposed to coronavirus. It is by staying home when possible, proper social distancing, mask and glove wearing, and hand washing that we are able to help keep ourselves, our families, and others safe.”

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Comments

We learned of this yesterday and are appalled at the city’s lack of transparency. We are all trying to support the local businesses who are open, but this will make us much more aware of others who are shopping.

We need to be assured that the people quarantined at the Days Inn are NOT permitted to leave the hotel and go out and about in the neighborhood!. In addition, the courageous staff assisting these residents deserve all possible support and must be be supplied with the equipment they need to keep themselves and our neighborhood safe!

When someone tests positive and does not need hospitalization, they are sent back to their home and told to quarantine. There are not guards ensuring that they dont leave. We have to trust that our neighbors are following the rules. These people at the hotel should not be treated differently just because they dont have a place of their own. That being said, it is clear that workers of some kind are on the property to assist so they already have more oversight and help then most people quarantined in their own homes.

I second Sara’s response above. Some of the other comments reek of the kind of snobby exclusionary attitude that has made Ward 3 notoriously hostile to unhoused community members and frankly the majority of the rest of DC. Thank you to Sara for eloquently pointing out that these neighbors who are temporarily housed at the Days Inn deserve the same respect as any other Ward 3 residents who may be experiencing symptoms and seeking to quarantine.

Health workers are leaving the Days Inn to get meals at the Burger King,. I understand that they need to get lunch. However, the video shows that the health worker is wearing their protective gear when they go to the fast food restaurant. Shouldn’t the protective gear be left at the hotel when they leave the premises?

I live next to Days Inn and I’m just finding this out this morning. I understand that facilities need to be used but the city was obligated to let the surrounding business, apartments, and neighborhoods know of what was going on! They failed in that sense. Won’t be visiting the neighborhood restaurants until this is over now and that is too unfortunate but I have to protect myself and loved ones.

Say that you yourself had coronavirus or suspicious symptoms and quarantined yourself. Would you be obligated to let all the surrounding businesses and apartment complexes know? Stop stigmatizing the homeless.

Hi Meghan, I’m a reporter with The Wall Street Journal. Could I speak to you about your experience for a story I’m working on about DC and coronavirus? You can reach me over email — alexa.corse@wsj.com. Thank you.

I was so grateful to learn that Ward 3 was included in this important effort. It’s not about putting us at risk; it’s about the city finally stepping up and doing something to care for people who need care in this crisis.
Let’s not forget that homeless people and workers are also our neighbors. If you don’t view the people on your block as dangerous sources of infection, please be very careful about viewing those you see as “different” that way.
The only way to prevent community spread is for each of us to behave as if we are already infected, and we have to protect everyne else. We are all in this together! Ms. Cheh, as our representative, perhaps you can demonstrate that by acting as an advocate for the residents and the workers at the Days Inn?

I’m a reporter with The Wall Street Journal. Could I speak to you about your experience for a story I’m working on about DC and coronavirus? You can reach me over email — alexa.corse at wsj.com. Thank you!

Let’s do everything we can to make sure that the sick residents and the workers on site are all supported and cared for. I hope that Ward 3 can rise to the occasion to make everyone feel welcome in our community. There are certainly plenty of resources here to make sure people have what they need. If you see workers wearing PPE outside, then why not make a public health info sheet and bring it by? Think about sharing knowledge and resources to make all of us safer instead of trying to push people out.

If you don’t see your comment here, please note that we have posted an update on the quarantine sites, with information from the person leading Mayor Bowser’s Covid-19 response. We want your comments to be informed by the latest information.

I am pretty appalled that my husband went to work here today on a fire alarm call and was not told what is going on here and offered no ppe. Just would like to add that I am 7 months pregnant. We are doing everything to stay safe.